Maple Stories
by Virgil Diablo
Summary: A prologue of a threepart series, next chapters will be much longer.Virgil and Amber started training to be future Defenders of the world of Maple, however they come from feuding cities. As graduation arises, so does a problem...


Maple Chronicles

Prologue, of three parts.

Please note that this is entirely a work of fiction. Any similarity to any person or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidence and unintentional.

Our story begins in the world of Maple. Maple is a small world, made up of three continents: Maple Island, Victoria Island, and Ossyria. Maple Island is a typical Maple World land, with few monsters, for training future Defenders of Maple. The two towns on Maple Island, Amherst and Southperry, have recently been feuding. Biggs, the defender of Southperry, and Lucas, the Elder of Amherst, has discovered a vein of rare Black Crystal ore running through Maple Island, and are unable to come up with a compromise on who gets to mine it. The squabbling may affect the adults of the island, but the children seem to pay no mind to it. In fact, children are the only thing that keeps the two towns from attacking eachother; they see children of both towns playing together, and realize that peace must be sought. However this doesn't last long, before they're back at eachother's throats.

It was only until the children start to undergo their training do they see the conflict. They start to realize what these words mean: war, kill, raid. By this time, most trainees will not fraternize with children from the other town, for they see what their trainers see: only hate. However, two children, Vergil of SouthPerry and Amber of Amherst, who have been friends since a very young age, still remain friends. They are chastised everytime they are seen talking to each other, or "Communicating with the Enemy" as their trainers called it. Yet they still remained friends.

Virgil, who is 14, started to develop somewhat of a crush on Amber, who is 13, during their trainings, he was always helping her with her technique, or giving her a potion in times of need. Amber, who never noticed the sudden affection from Virgil, graciously accepted any help she could get, as the daughter of the Elder of Amherst Lucas, she was put into training earlier than most children. She never wanted to join the Defenders, she was always seeking harmony and avoiding conflict, however her father wanted her to be able to fend for herself for her travels. She didn't want to fight, she wanted to train pets, or be a shop owner, but now all of a sudden she's ready, ready to take on the world and anything between her and her dreams. Virgil saw this sudden adrenaline rush, and felt somewhat proud of her for her sudden determination.

Virgil, of SouthPerry, never had anyone there for him; he was always home alone, cooking for himself, taking care of himself. He was hospitalized for hunger, exhaustion, and thirst many times, and had no money to pay the hospital. Having to take care of himself like he was was only going to make him stronger, he thought to himself, every day of every week. Eventually he discovered he could make fire, cook Unagi and boil eggs, and make tea for himself, all at the age of seven years. Virgil eventually realized that there were no free rides in the world, that he would have to take care of himself, and not rely on anyone else, he could cook meals at seven, there's no telling what he could do during his teen years.

Days grew longer as Summer came around, and training became more rigorous. Virgil and Amber were required to hunt for themselves, feeding on Pigs and Mushrooms taken down in the forest. Virgil discovered a raggedy leather glove in the forest while hunting one day, and realized that there was something dull and jagged inside: old Subi throwing stars. He had found an old worn-out Garnier, and dedicated his training to perfecting the style of Claws. Amber had found a dying tree, with a single branch with a perfectly sculpted head on the end. She took out her hand axe and started chopping off the branch. She realized that something was strange with this branch: it felt like something flowed through it. Her trainer said it was called "mana", or a kind of energy that Magicians used for their spells. Eventually, she began to use the mana, and used spells her trainer thought her called "Claw", a scratching type spell.

Virgil's trainer, Mai, discussed with him the world outside of Maple Island. She talked of beautiful forests, with a village in the very center, she talked of a huge city, ruled by the night. Virgil listened to her stories with eagerness, and wanted to graduate and take on the world. Mai looked at him curiously, and decided it was about his time. She scheduled a graduation exam for him in the coming month, and trained him more than ever. Many days, Virgil would pass out from exhuastion, only to awaken with the slap of Mai's leather sheath.

Meanwhile, Amber's mana training continued as normal, worried of Virgil's abscence, unaware of his new training. She started losing focus, her spells were off mark, they were weak, eventually she couldn't evne cast a decent spell. Her trainer started to notice decided they should talk. He asked her what was wrong with her, and why she was unfocused recently. She said she wasn't feeling well, and her trainer sent her back to her housing for rest. It was a wole three weeks before she saw Virgil again, at the graduation ceremony.

Virgil and Amber were the only two graduating this year, because of the constant migration to Victoria Island to flee Maple Island, considering war was breaking out. Virgil's test was an easy one: take out 15 green mushrooms. The mushrooms were deployed and Virgil killed all of them without moving from his stance, letting his stars do all the work. Everyone of them connected with a mushroom and took them out with lightning-fast speed. Virgil had the fastest graduation time ever.

Next up was Amber. Her task was to kill 10 blue mushrooms, also an easy task. She took out seven before she started to feel dizzy. The poison from the blue mushrooms started to stir up, and Amber started started to feel the effects, She could take out two more mushrooms, before she almost couldnt stand anymore, and the blue mushroom tackled her. Her trainer took out the mushroom with a Claw spell, and Amber was disqualified for failing to take out all her foes before one reached her.

Virgil stood at the dais, recieving his graduating armor; he never felt more proud than this day. So, why was he so miserable? He looked at Amber, who was deeply saddened by failing, but was still happy to see her best friend pass. The graduating committee tried to get Virgil on the boat to Lith Harbor, the port town of Victoria Island, but he refused to go.

"I will not board this ship to Lith Harbor unless you do something for me." He pointed to Amber."Let her come with me."

The graduating committee president said, "No. She has failed the test. She requires more training. Do not be foolish Virgil. Board that ship and head to Lith Harbor."

"No!" He said. "I will train her then, I tought her most of what she knows now."

The president looked at his committee, then torwards Virgil's trainer, then to Amber's trainer.

After much deliberation, the president said, "Alright, but she is your responsibility now. You must be the one to train her until she can fend for herself."

Virgil smiled, and then said "Yessir. I'll do the most I can for her."

"Hurry."The president said." Or you'll miss the boat."

Quickly Virgil and Amber ran torwards their ship. As they boarded the ship and headed torwards their cabin, Amber stopped him. "Why did you do that?" She said.

"Do what?" Virgil asked.

"You know, stood up for me like that, and accepted my training."

Virgil sighed. "There is something I have to tell you, but I find it hard everytime I want to..."

Amber was taken slightly aback. "Virgil, you know you can tell me anything. I'm your best friend. You're my trainer now..." She giggled.

"Amber, I lo--" He stopped as the ship hit turbulence and lost his step.

"You what?" She said with a slightly puzzled look on her face.

"Uhh. Never mind"


End file.
